1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automatic coupler for a model railroad car.
2. Description of the Related Art
For coupling model railroad cars, various types of automatic couplers adapted to be coupled in an automatic manner, including the Arnold type coupler, have been proposed.
For example, there has been proposed an automatic coupler comprising a coupler body enclosed in a holder case fixed to a model railroad car body, in a manner that the coupler body is allowed to swing from side to side, the coupler body including a knuckle portion of a hook-like shape open at one side, when viewed from above, and a receiving portion of a thumb-like shape facing the open side of the knuckle portion (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-331177). In this automatic coupler, normally, a coil spring retains the coupler body in a standard position, and thus, retains the receiving portion in an engagement position relative to the knuckle position, or position in which the receiving portion is a minimum distance away from the open side of the knuckle position. The automatic coupler includes a metal rod projecting from the underside of the coupler body obliquely downward, and by this metal rod being attracted toward the knuckle portion side by a magnet placed between rails, the automatic coupler is uncoupled. The automatic coupler is thus adapted to be coupled and uncoupled in an automatic manner.
In real railroad cars, couplers are very small compared with car bodies, according to which, couplers for model railroad cars are very small. It is therefore desirable that the coupler for model railroad cars should be composed of a small number of components and easy to assemble.
The automatic coupler disclosed in the above publication, however, includes a coil spring for retaining the coupler body in the standard position and thus retaining the receiving portion in the engagement position relative to the knuckle portion, and a metal rod projecting from the underside of the coupler body obliquely downward and adapted to be attracted toward the knuckle portion side by a magnet placed between rails. This automatic coupler is thus complicated in structure and composed of a large number of components, and accordingly, difficult to assemble and expensive.